I have parents reaching out to me inquiring about lessons because the KNOW that their 3 year old is meant to be a drummer. It’s got me thinking, how do parents with no musical abilities know that their child is destined to be a drummer? There are definitely some indisputable signs, but I believe there are also some traits that might go unnoticed. So in proper Jeff Foxworthy fashion…
Your child may be a drummer if…
They love to tap on things. This is the most obvious one. If your child seems to be intuitively tapping and making rhythms, they may be a drummer.
They do well with pattern recognition. If you kid is good at puzzles and continuing patterns they are more likely to succeed at playing rhythms. They may be a drummer.
They enjoy math and pick up fractions easily. There are a lot of relationships between math and music, specifically rhythm. By no means do you have to be good at math and fractions to be a drummer, but It may be a sign that your child will have a knack for it. They may be a drummer
When listening to music the move to the beat. I’m not just talking about dancing, I’m talking about bopping their head or tapping their toes. This shows that they have an internal rhythm and can identify beat and tempo easily. They may be a drummer.
They show multi tasking motor skills. The best example of this is the classic “tap your head while rubbing your belly” trick. It shows that they are able to create an internal rhythm that the two parts share. They may be a drummer.
If you feel that your child may be showing one or all of these signs, I would prescribe a drum pad and sticks to test it out. They can be fairly cheap in case its not their thing and they are quiet! If you are a little bit braver look into renting a drumset! We are an interesting breed, but it is a privilege to raise us. Just ask my parents… actually, maybe don’t.
Hilary